Parents desperately searching for leads on missing son

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - The parents of a central Indiana teenager who moved to Louisville to attend Sullivan University have reported him missing and are in town looking for him. Angela and John Compton said the last time they spoke with their 18-year-old son, Andrew, was on Oct. 28.

"His mood was good. And he seemed happy. He was talking about a pumpkin carving contest he finished up. So, you know, I expected to talk to him the next day," Angela Compton said.

After not hearing from Andrew, his parents drove to Louisville from Carmel, IN on Halloween to search for answers. They say Andrew was seen last seen near Bardstown Road and Lucia Avenue. That's the location where the Comptons spent most of their time handing out flyers on Nov. 6.

"We're trying to get the word out as much as we can," said Angela Compton. "We're just extremely worried. I mean, it's been over a week. Something is wrong. I just I know it is."

The Compton family became even more concerned after they found an email with a conversation between Andrew and a man dated Oct. 26, two days before Andrew was last seen. The email contained phrases like: "OK I'll pick you up Thursday at 9 p.m." "Cool, thanks," "See ya then," and "OK, cool, see you then."

His parents say surveillance video shows Andrew getting into a white car around 9 p.m. Oct. 28. Angela says she has warned her son about meeting people online - and says this isn't the first time Andrew has met someone in person after talking to them online.

"I've broken down many times," Angela said. "I can't believe this is happening. To go running around for a week in a city he doesn't even know, it doesn't make any sense."

Louisville Metro Police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley says they have spoken with the person in the email and he has not been named a suspect in Andrew's disappearance, but police are continuing to investigate.

Andrew's parents say he was wearing a gray Aeropostale sweatshirt with a hood, a blue/gray V-neck shirt with a graphic design on it, light khaki shorts, white socks, and a brown belt.

If anyone has any information about Andrew Compton, they should call the LMPD Crime Tip Line at 574-LMPD (5673). All calls to the Crime Tip Line are anonymous.